Fire-escape



(No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

. A. R. SHANNON.

FIRE ESGAPE. No. 463,670. Patented Nov. 24, 1.891.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sh e et 2. A. R. SHANNON.

FIRE ESCAPE No. 463,670. Paten ed Nov. 24, 1 891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREXV R. SHANNON, OF \VATERTOYVN, NE\V YORK.

'Fl RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,670, dated November 24, 1891.

Application filed April 20,1891.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW R. SHANNON,

of WVatert-own, in the county of Jefferson, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description. My invention relates to an improved fireescape, and has for its object the production of a simple and highly efficient device for preventing loss of life in fires by permitting the occupant of a room to safely and readily pass from the window or other opening of a building downwardly to the ground without the slightest liability of injury from the descent, and for permitting the escape of a number by returning to its normal position after each descent.

To this end the invention consists, essentially, in a closed tube filled with liquid or other suitable fluid, a plunger movable lengthwise in the tube, a valve for permitting the liquid to pass above or below the plunger, a

' chain or rope secured to the plunger and movable upon a drum, and a descending chain or rope having one end adapted to support the person descending and the other passed over and secured to a drum connected to and driven-by the former drum.

The invention furthermore consists in the detail construction and arrangement of the parts, all as hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out in the claims.

In describing this invention reference is had'to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 represents a sectional view of a building with my invention in operative position therein, the descending rope being shown as in its lower position. Fig. 2 is a detail View of the detached outer pulley upon which the descending chain is wound, the hood encircling the same, and the chain-guide arms secured beneath the hood. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the detached hood and chainguides. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig.6 is an elevation of the detached liquid-containing cylin- Serial No. 389.584. (N0 model.)

der and a portion of the descending chain. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the parts as shown in Fig. 6; and Figs. 8,- 9, and 10 are respectively longitudinal and transverse sectional views taken on lines 8 8, 9 9, and 10 10, Fig. 7.

I am aware that various fire-escapes have been devised in which the rate of movement is governed by the operators hands. Practical experience has demonstrated that the great excitement incidental to a fire and the escape from the burning building renders the person escaping almost totally incapable of governing his descent, and consequently in almost all cases he is seriously injured by a too-rapid descent. My invention is designed to obviate this injury to the person descending, acts entirely automatic, so that he has absolutely no power over the rate of descending, which is fixed and automatic, and is, moreover, butimperceptibly increased by additional weight, and returns automatically to its operative position in order to enable others to descend.

A represents a cylinder mounted, preferably, within the building in suitable position and secured thereto in any desirable manner, as by bolts or screws a, passed through flanges or, upon either the cylinder itself or a clip a engaging the same. This cylinder is of desirable construction and of sufficient length to afford the desired movement of the descending chain, as presently described, being filled, preferably, with a nonfreezing liquid, as kerosene, alcohol, &c., or, if desired, with" any other like resisting fluid.

B represents a plunger movable length wise in the cylinder and provided with an opening or groove 1) for the passage of the liquid, and 0 represents a valve for closing the upper end of said groove and permitting the liquid to pass slowly from said passage 19.

D represents a chain, having one end secured to the plunger B, and the other passed suitable inlet-chamber a having a valve a for permitting withdrawal or replenishment of the fluid. As preferably constructed, and as best seen at Fig. 8, the shaft 6 is at one side of a perpendicular to the center lineof the plunger, in order that the chain may eX- tend almost perpendicular when being wound upon the drum E. Secured at g to the pulley F, as best shown at Fig. 7, is the descend ing chain G, having its lower end preferably provided with a hook or other engaging portion g.

II represents a waist adapted to encircle the person about to descend, and provided with a strap h, which is engaged with the hook g. After having fitted the waist and engaged the strap with the hook g the user springs outwardly through a window or other opening and descends to the earth. The speed of descent is insuflicient to permit injury of the person descending should he strike a veranda or other object, and is governed by the upward passage of the plunger B, permitted by the passage of the liquid through the passage b and past the valve 0. Should other persons cling to the descending chain, its downward speed will not be perceptibly accelerated, as the increased weight only increases the pressure on the upper side of the valve, which tends to close the same and prevent the upward movement of the plunger.

For the purpose of protecting the wheel F from the elements, we provide a hood F, and for preventing the escape of the chain G from the flanges f of the wheel, I provide guides F", as best seen at Figs. 2 and 3. This hood is secured, preferably, to the outer journal-bearing f for the shaft 6, and the guides are preferably formed upon the hood; but it is evident that the construction of the hood and guides may bevaried at will and that the same may be secured in operative position in any desired manner. It is also evident that the waist H may be dispensed with, and the person descending be supported either by direct engagement with the engaging portion g or by any other suitable support adapted to be engaged with said chain. After the lower end of the descending chain G has reached its lower position and the plunger B has ascended to the top of the cylinder, the weight of the plunger counterbalances said chain and returns the same to its normal position, whereupon others may use the escape in rapid succession.

It will be particularly noted that when the fire-escape is in use and the lower end of the chain approaches the ground that the diameter of the wheel F is reduced and the diameter of the drum E increased, thus lessening the speed of the parts as the person descending reaches the ground.

The chain illustrated consists of metallic links hinged together, but may be otherwise constructed, or, if desired, may be replaced by a rope of wire or other suitable material. The ratio of the drums E and F may be varied at will to suit the required speed of the fire-escape. The connecting mechanism between said drums may be changed to suitable gearing, the length of the cylinder varied to conform to the required movement of the descending chain G, and the weight of the plunger varied to conform to the ratio between the drums E and F and the weight of the chain G.

The operation of my invention will be readily perceived from the foregoing description and upon reference to the drawings, and itis evident that the same is highly eflicient and automatic, may be reused an unlimited number of times, and is extremely simple and capable of use by the most inexperienced individual. It is evident, however, that the (letail construction and arrangement of my fireescape may be somewhat changed from that shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention. Hence 1 do not herein limit myself to such detail construction and arrangement.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fire-escape, a cylinder containing a resistance-fluid, a plunger movable lengthwise in the cylinder, an opening in the plunger to permit passage of the resistance-fluid, a valve for regulating said passage, a revolving drum mounted in the cylinder-head, a chain or rope having one end secured to the plunger and the other adapted to be wound upon the drum, a second drum on the outside of the cylinder, connections, substantially as described, between said drums, and a descending flexible support secured to the latter drum, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a fire-escape, a cylinder containing a resistance-fluid and formed with a head, a plunger movable lengthwise in the cylinder, an opening in the plunger to permit passage of the resistance-fluid, a valve for regulating said passage, a revolving shaft journaled in the cylinder-head and formed with one end projecting therefrom, drums at the opposite ends of the shaft, one of said drums being mounted within the cylinder, a flexible connection between one of said drums and the plunger, and a flexible support having one end secured to the other drum and the opposite end adapted to support a person descending to the ground, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

.3. I11 a fire-escape, the combination of a cylinder containing a liquid, a head at one extremity of said cylinder provided with a re movable cap and a stuffing-box, a plunger movable within the cylinder and formed with a valve'for permitting passage of the liquid, a drum j ournaled within the cylinder-head, a chain connecting the piston and drum, a shaft having one extremity secured to said internal drum and the other projecting outwardly be yond the cylinder-head through said stuffingbox, a second drum mounted upon said shaft, and a flexible support adapted to be wound upon said drum, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination of a fluid-containing cylinder, a head on said cylinder having a chamber projecting outwardly beyond the cylinder-chamber, a shaft in said head with one extremity projecting down wardly beyond the same, a drum upon said shaft and within said cylinder, with its axis at one'side of a perpendicular to the center of the cylinder, a plunger movable in the cylinder and formed with a valve for preventing the too ready passage of the fluid, aflexible connection between the internal drum and plunger, adapted to be wound upon said drum, a second drum mounted on the projecting end of said shaft, and a flexible support adapted to be wound upon said drum, substantially as described.

5. In a fire-escape, the combination of a cylinder containing a non-freezable fluid and adapted to be mounted within the building, a shaft projecting from said cylinder to the outside of the building, a drum within said cylinder on the shaft,a plunger movable within said cylinder, a flexible connection between said plunger and internal drum, adapted to be wound upon said drum, a second drum on the projecting end of said shaft, a flexible support depending from said drum and adapted to be wound thereupon, and stationary guides for retaining said flexible support in proper position upon said drum,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a fire-escape, the combination of a cyl-- inder containing a non-freezable fluid and adapted to be mounted within the building, a shaft projecting from said cylinder to the outside of the building, a drum on the shaft, a descending flexible support secured to said drum, a plunger movable within said cylinder and connected, substantially as described, to rotate said drum, a hood for protecting said drum, and guides projecting downwardly from said hood, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a fire-escape, the combination of a cylinder containing a resistance-fluid, a plunger movable lengthwisein the cylinder andformed in its outer wall or periphery with a lengthwise slot, a valve having one extremity secured to the plunger and the other movable above the upper extremity of said slot, a revolving drum mounted within the cylinder,a flexible connection between said drum and plunger, a second drum, connections between said drums for rotating both simultaneously, and a descending support secured to the latter drum, substantially as described. I

8. In a fireescape, the combination of a fluid-containing cylinder, a valve movable in the cylinder and provided with a longitudinal groove in its periphery, a movable valveplate at the upper extremity of said plunger for preventing rapid passage of the fluid through said groove, a head within the upper extremity of the cylinder, consisting of two 

